1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to snapshotting data to an image (e.g. via a backup, replication, or as a provisioning image) and restoring the image to a computer system having different hardware.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various software tools existing for backing up computer systems and restoring backup data to computer systems. Such tools are provided to permit recovery, at least to the most recent backup state, from user error, hardware failure in the backed-up computer system, or other disaster situations originating outside the computer system that cause data loss such as by damaging the computer system. User error may include activities such as accidental file deletion, file corruption, or erroneous file content change.
In the case of a hardware failure or disaster situation that damages the computer system, either hardware components in the computer system may be replaced or the entire computer system may be replaced. Generally, either the same or equivalent hardware must be provided in the replacement to permit restoring the backup to the computer system. If the same or equivalent hardware is not used, then different drivers may be required in the operating system (which is included in the backup data). Additionally, if the operating system includes a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) or low level kernel code that varies based on the hardware included in the computer system, the HAL and/or kernel code may be required. Since the drivers, HAL, and kernel are included in the backup, simply restoring the backup will not result in a bootable system.
As computer systems age, they become more likely to experience a hardware failure as the hardware “wears out”. Thus, as computer systems age, they become more likely to need a restoration from a backup. Unfortunately, since the hardware in the system is dated, an older computer system is also less likely to be repaired with the same hardware. That is, the same hardware may no longer be available for purchase. Additionally, it may be more cost effective to replace older computer systems with new systems, and thus the likelihood that different hardware may be provided in the system to which the restore is attempted may be further increased.
In the above mentioned situations, for computer systems employing the Windows™ operating system from Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, Wash.), the typical solution is to install the operating system manually on the repaired/new computer system. The backup data can then be restored to the repaired/new computer system. To ensure that the new drivers used by the new hardware are not overridden by the previously installed drivers in the registry, the “KeysNotToResore” feature in the registry may be used to protect the keys corresponding to driver software. However, since the process is manual, it is more likely to have erroneous outcomes and may be time-consuming to troubleshoot.